SA Footy

w_m wrote:I don't think I would be in the minority if I suggested that the standard of umpiring in the SAAFL has continued to fall in the last few years. I personally believe it is only going to continually decline given that most of the umpires are not exactly in their youth.

The SAAFL have implemented a policy this year where umpires who regularly attend training are rewarded with games in the higher grades while those who just turn up every Saturday are given the lower grades. This has no doubt had a positive effect on the high grades but made the standard even lower for the low grades.

It is amazing how many people think they would make a good umpire but "cant be bothered" having a go.

I have also noticed that while the standard has dropped there are actually some quite good umpires who are umpiring as club umpires. It would be good to see a mechanism where these umpires could be encouraged to join the SAAFL panel but the incentive is probably not there.

I'm interested to hear any ideas that would encourage the good club umpires and other prospective umpires to consider joining the league ranks.

What would attract more umpires to the job - simply more money or is there more to it? money would be good, but I'd say there would be more to it (stigma perhaps)
What prevents them taking up the job? stigma
Have you considered having a go but declined for whatever reason? still considering it. Reasons why - keep involved in the game, keep fit and to find out how difficult/easy it actually is
Have you seen a club umpire that you believe would make a good league umpire?no

gadj1976 wrote:

w_m wrote:I don't think I would be in the minority if I suggested that the standard of umpiring in the SAAFL has continued to fall in the last few years. I personally believe it is only going to continually decline given that most of the umpires are not exactly in their youth.

The SAAFL have implemented a policy this year where umpires who regularly attend training are rewarded with games in the higher grades while those who just turn up every Saturday are given the lower grades. This has no doubt had a positive effect on the high grades but made the standard even lower for the low grades.

It is amazing how many people think they would make a good umpire but "cant be bothered" having a go.

I have also noticed that while the standard has dropped there are actually some quite good umpires who are umpiring as club umpires. It would be good to see a mechanism where these umpires could be encouraged to join the SAAFL panel but the incentive is probably not there.

I'm interested to hear any ideas that would encourage the good club umpires and other prospective umpires to consider joining the league ranks.

What would attract more umpires to the job - simply more money or is there more to it? money would be good, but I'd say there would be more to it (stigma perhaps)
What prevents them taking up the job? stigma
Have you considered having a go but declined for whatever reason? still considering it. Reasons why - keep involved in the game, keep fit and to find out how difficult/easy it actually is
Have you seen a club umpire that you believe would make a good league umpire?no

I've always been one to say that "umpiring seems like common sense" (to which they don't actually umpire using any common sense) and I've found that after playing the game I can read situations better than umpires that have never played. So hence I'd like to give it a go. that way I can either say "yep, it's more difficult" or legitimately say "it's easier than they make out".

Jimmy_041 wrote:Well, I thought this was going to be another f***wit string, but lo and behold, someone has finally started a positive discussion to try to find an answer to this MAJOR problem.

Just remember everyone, no umpire - no game FULLSTOP

Iwasthere84 wrote:

gadj1976 wrote:

w_m wrote:I don't think I would be in the minority if I suggested that the standard of umpiring in the SAAFL has continued to fall in the last few years. I personally believe it is only going to continually decline given that most of the umpires are not exactly in their youth.

The SAAFL have implemented a policy this year where umpires who regularly attend training are rewarded with games in the higher grades while those who just turn up every Saturday are given the lower grades. This has no doubt had a positive effect on the high grades but made the standard even lower for the low grades.

It is amazing how many people think they would make a good umpire but "cant be bothered" having a go.

I have also noticed that while the standard has dropped there are actually some quite good umpires who are umpiring as club umpires. It would be good to see a mechanism where these umpires could be encouraged to join the SAAFL panel but the incentive is probably not there.

I'm interested to hear any ideas that would encourage the good club umpires and other prospective umpires to consider joining the league ranks.

What would attract more umpires to the job - simply more money or is there more to it? money would be good, but I'd say there would be more to it (stigma perhaps)
What prevents them taking up the job? stigma
Have you considered having a go but declined for whatever reason? still considering it. Reasons why - keep involved in the game, keep fit and to find out how difficult/easy it actually is
Have you seen a club umpire that you believe would make a good league umpire?no

I've always been one to say that "umpiring seems like common sense" (to which they don't actually umpire using any common sense) and I've found that after playing the game I can read situations better than umpires that have never played. So hence I'd like to give it a go. that way I can either say "yep, it's more difficult" or legitimately say "it's easier than they make out".

Tues and thurs nights at Thebby, come and give it a go gadj1976

mypaddock wrote:I would seriously consider giving umpiring a go after I finish playing, even if it is only umpiring the B grade at my club.
I have always found that the best umpires are the ones who use common sense (as gadg said) and pay only the obvious free kicks, not the ones who go out their trying to 'find' free kicks.

I've noticed over the past 3-4 yrs everytime there is a contest these days a free kick is paid- please umpires, just let the game flow...

mypaddock wrote:I would seriously consider giving umpiring a go after I finish playing, even if it is only umpiring the B grade at my club.
I have always found that the best umpires are the ones who use common sense (as gadg said) and pay only the obvious free kicks, not the ones who go out their trying to 'find' free kicks.

I've noticed over the past 3-4 yrs everytime there is a contest these days a free kick is paid- please umpires, just let the game flow...

Jabber wrote:I cop it after the game from my own club because i DONT cheat, i've umpired with some absolute shockers that are blatant cheaters, you can tell this because of the way that some of the umps snap back at the players after the players have a go at them.

But just because the dude i'm umpiring with is a cheat, my club has a go at me because i'm not being as dirty as the other umpire!

Then you get a crazy descision from the league saying that club umpires must only umpire thier own back half. Lets loosely translate it: Most club umpires are cheats, so we better stick them in the back half so they don't cause too much damage!

Now when i umpire i've got a fair idea of who is a cheat and who isn't, and most of the guys i umpire with each year know that i don't cheat. So with those particular umpires that i know aren't cheats, we umpire just as you would normally at A Grade level and there is never a problem, umpiring both forward halves and back halves.

I got offered a fair amount of coin to umpire a close to homes club B grade. There is no way I am ever doing club umpiring because of the other clubs umpire. You simply cannot win. If the other guy cheats and you dont, you are a mug, if you make calls and he doesnt you are still a mug. On the subject of training, how many posts have been put on here ripping into the umps for not getting into the right position because they are unfit. If I stick my hand out for an envelope at the end of the match, I want to have given 100%. Training, whether it be fitness or education is a must

I umpired on the panel for a year and training was sooooooo boring, coming from a background of football training, with footballs, to now just boring old running. THAT is a reason why umps drop off training.

Iwasthere84 wrote:

Jabber wrote:I cop it after the game from my own club because i DONT cheat, i've umpired with some absolute shockers that are blatant cheaters, you can tell this because of the way that some of the umps snap back at the players after the players have a go at them.

But just because the dude i'm umpiring with is a cheat, my club has a go at me because i'm not being as dirty as the other umpire!

Then you get a crazy descision from the league saying that club umpires must only umpire thier own back half. Lets loosely translate it: Most club umpires are cheats, so we better stick them in the back half so they don't cause too much damage!

Now when i umpire i've got a fair idea of who is a cheat and who isn't, and most of the guys i umpire with each year know that i don't cheat. So with those particular umpires that i know aren't cheats, we umpire just as you would normally at A Grade level and there is never a problem, umpiring both forward halves and back halves.

I got offered a fair amount of coin to umpire a close to homes club B grade. There is no way I am ever doing club umpiring because of the other clubs umpire. You simply cannot win. If the other guy cheats and you dont, you are a mug, if you make calls and he doesnt you are still a mug. On the subject of training, how many posts have been put on here ripping into the umps for not getting into the right position because they are unfit. If I stick my hand out for an envelope at the end of the match, I want to have given 100%. Training, whether it be fitness or education is a must

I umpired on the panel for a year and training was sooooooo boring, coming from a background of football training, with footballs, to now just boring old running. THAT is a reason why umps drop off training.

Footy Smart wrote:The umpiring at Modbury Oval on the weekend was supurb.... Both A and B Grade umpires let the game flow and didnt over umpire the game at all... The B Grade was a close game 2 points and they umpired the pressure contest well and didnt pay tiggy touch frees when both teams were flying in hard.

Then on the other hand you have the TTG C grade umpire who is an absolute cheat!!!!!!!!

Pag wrote:I started umpiring last Sunday with the CDJFL, and obviously Under 11s and 12s is a bit different to senior footy but I was running around thinking how people could do it without having played the game before? Players know when an infringement actually effects the contest or if it's incidental and has no real bearing. That's how I judged my calls. Not sure how you could do it well without playing before.

ezydoesitbigfella wrote:Training - spot on - can't get there - want to be on the panel but life and work simply does not allow - yes, there should be standards of fitness - but couldn't I be "forced" to attend a minimum of 4 sessions a month to stay on the panel - and to be expected to maintain a reasonable fitness standard (maybe 2 kms in 8 minutes - plus 10 x 80 metres in 10 minutes - I maybe off the mark, but you get the idea - to be tested monthly) What about regional training - I umpire junior grades and train on another night with several older umpires - we could recieve information from Barry Oates and have "someone" within our group report to him on attendances and progress?

ezydoesitbigfella wrote:Decision making - the obvious answer is "you're only ever gonna please 50% of the people, with any decision you make" but even with umpires paying "tiggy touchwood" frees - the old coaches say - play to the umpires interpretation. Consistency is what we would all like, but you pay each decision on it's merits - and it's an immediate reaction to a situation - and, YES, you can get it horribly wrong sometimes. Let's be brutal - if one player had to make as many split second decisions as the umpire does in a game - he would make many mistakes also - no-ones perfect....eh?

ezydoesitbigfella wrote:Club Umpires - a real dillema - I have only ever experienced three umpires who are clearly biased in the 100 plus SAAFL games I have done - I mostly dealt with them by a quiet word at the break, saying I consider them to be cheating and I will square up, if they don't stop - they look with amazement, but it had the right effect. Why doesn't the SAAFL introduce a self regulating system, where each clubs appointed umpire completes a performance review of his counterpart for the day - and if there is recurring negative feedback about a particular umpire - the club can be advised to fix the problem? But most club umpires work together - it's a thankless task, but an enjoyable way to stay involved in this great game.